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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25832653">Stepdad Bobby</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelztoddbrooke/pseuds/chelztoddbrooke'>chelztoddbrooke</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1 (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Step-parents, Teenagers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:28:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,110</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25832653</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelztoddbrooke/pseuds/chelztoddbrooke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Yeah. That…in there…” she pointed towards May’s room. “That’s exactly how you go from “Best Friend Bobby” to “Stepdad Bobby”. </p>
<p>Bobby and May share a moment after the Tusanmi</p>
<p>**Slight Trigger warning-mentions of Bobby and May's overdoses.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Athena Grant/Bobby Nash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>63</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stepdad Bobby</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I think May really likes Bobby, as evidenced by the way she asked him to be in her homecoming photos but  outside of that there have yet to be any real bonding moments between the two of them. I couldn't help but think about the one thing they really have in common-so I wrote about it. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Building a rapport with Harry had been easy. Fire trucks and flashy tools were enough to turn the boy’s head and their relationship grew from there. May was another story. Bobby had no frame of reference for teenage girls. He hadn’t really been around one since he was a teenager himself. Their mutual want for Athena’s happiness drew them into an easy comradery, but so far it was little more than a superficial friendship.</p>
<p>With his firehouse family, Bobby had learned that close relationships were formed through openness and vulnerability. There was one thing he knew he had in common with May, but he was going to have to allow himself to be incredibly vulnerable to admit it to her. However, after what she had been through during the tsunami, he thought they might be at the perfect crossroads to have that particular heart to heart.</p>
<p>After a couple hands of cards, she’d disappeared to her room, offering her need to work on her college essay as an excuse. When Bobby found her, it looked like she was at least attempting it. Her laptop was open and papers were scattered across her bed, but the look on her face said she was miles away from all of it.</p>
<p> Bobby rapped his knuckles on the door to get her attention. Her head snapped in his direction.</p>
<p>“Bobby. Hey,” she smiled softly.</p>
<p>“You ok?” he checked.</p>
<p>May nodded, picked up a couple of the papers in front of her, trying to figure out where she left off. “Just brainstorming.”</p>
<p>“Your mom told me what you did today…for that woman,” Bobby started.</p>
<p>“Did she send you in here to talk to me?” May’s expression went sour. Bobby felt his cheeks flush. He’d just found the barrier between best buddy Bobby and Stepdad Bobby.</p>
<p>“No, I just…I thought…”he stammered, shoving his hands into his pockets. He suddenly found himself ‘hoping for a 911 call’ as Athena would say. He’d take burning buildings over teenagers any day. “Anyway, I’m proud of you,” he added finally, accepting his defeat and turning away. He’d wait for another opportunity.</p>
<p>“Bobby, wait,” May called him back. “I’m sorry. It’s just ever since my…incident…Mom has been sorta weird.“</p>
<p>Bobby leaned a shoulder against the door frame, crossing his arms across his chest. He nodded, taking the opening he was given. “It is weird isn’t it? You can tell they aren’t sure whether to give you tough love or to smother you and they fall short of both landing somewhere near awkward,” he chuckled.</p>
<p>“Exactly. It’s like she’s waiting for me to go off or something,”</p>
<p>“When in reality, the threshold is not that low. That to reach that level of desperation, to need the pain to stop that badly, it takes more than one stressful day. It’s only something you learn once you’ve been there yourself…”</p>
<p>“Wait…you mean…?” May’s eyes widened.</p>
<p>“May I?” Bobby gestured to her desk chair. She nodded, allowing him to take a seat.  “Once, but have considered it more times than I care to admit,” he answered her question.</p>
<p>When Bobby was put on suspension, he and Athena sat down with the kids discussed Bobby’s past in Minnesota and his substance abuse problem, but only in the broadest of terms. Harry was not quite old enough to understand and at the time he wasn’t ready for that conversation with May.</p>
<p>“Was it after…?” she didn’t really want to articulate the incident in Minnesota.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I was in a really bad place for awhile. I thought if I died, I would be reunited with my family.” He nodded.</p>
<p>“What did you do?” May asked. Bobby shifted uncomfortably for a moment, trying to decide exactly how much he should share with her. Her dark eyes were pleading with him.</p>
<p>He swallowed thickly and began. “Well, I had a plan. I would save a life for every one I cost in that fire. Then I was going to end it,” he shrugged.</p>
<p>“What changed your mind?” her voice was so soft he nearly missed the question.</p>
<p>“I forgave myself,” Bobby smiled. “While God had absolved me of my sins after my first confession, I had never really forgiven myself. Once I did that, I realized that I had a lot to live for. I finally opened myself up again. That’s about the time I started dating your mom, and you know the story after that.” May let out a small laugh.</p>
<p>“But do you ever go back…” she grasped for the right words. “…to that dark place?”</p>
<p>“Sometimes. After hard shifts. But I’ve never really felt that desperate or that hopeless again. The truth is, depression doesn’t really leave you, not for good. But it can be managed. Whether that be with a medication, faith, or a good support system.” He sat back in his chair and gave her a moment to process. “So yeah, your mom is going to worry about you. She worries about me too. It comes from a place of love. She’s doing her best with what she knows. Regardless, she will be there for you no matter what. However, if you every find yourself needing something that comes from a place of experience, I am here too,” he offered. May slid forward and took one of his hands between both of his.</p>
<p>“Thanks, Bobby,” she whispered, her eyes telegraphing that the gratitude was as much for his willingness to be vulnerable as it was for his offer of support.</p>
<p>Bobby curled his fingers around hers. “Anytime May,” he replied with a soft smile. “I’ll let you get back to your homework,” he added, dropping a kiss to her forehead as he stood.</p>
<hr/>
<p>He nearly ran over Athena in the hallway. Only quick reflexes kept them both from tumbling to the ground.</p>
<p>“Easy,” he chuckled, gripping her shoulders, and setting her back on her feet. His smile faded and his brow furrowed as he noticed the shine of tears in her eyes. “You ok?”</p>
<p>Athena nodded, rolling onto her toes to press a kiss to his lips. “Proud of you,” she murmured.</p>
<p>“Yeah?” his lips twitched back into a smile.</p>
<p>“Yeah. That…in there…” she pointed towards May’s room. “That’s exactly how you go from “Best Friend Bobby” to “Stepdad Bobby”.</p>
<p>He ducked his head, color coming to his cheeks. “It was just what I thought she needed to hear.”</p>
<p>“And I love you for that,” Athena replied, sliding a finger under his chin to bring his eyes back to hers.</p>
<p>“Love you too,” he said, kissing her again before taking her hand and leading her down the hall.</p>
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